Terrestrial based high speed data communications mesh network

ABSTRACT

A network for providing high speed data communications may include multiple terrestrial transmission stations that are located within overlapping communications range and a mobile receiver station. The terrestrial transmission stations provide a continuous and uninterrupted high speed data communications link with the mobile receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/864,822 filed Jul. 14, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/951,493 filed Nov. 18, 2020, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/599,519 filed onOct. 11, 2019 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,855,364 which issued on Dec. 1,2020), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/964,694 filed Apr. 27, 2018 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,484,079 whichissued on Nov. 19, 2019), which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/068,783 filed Mar. 14, 2016 (now U.S. Pat. No.9,985,717 which issued on May 29, 2018), which is a continuation of Ser.No. 13/862,508 filed Apr. 15, 2013 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,312,947 whichissued on Apr. 12, 2016), which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/601,452 filed on Aug. 31, 2012 (now U.S. Pat.No. 8,442,520 which issued on May 14, 2013) and a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/601,413 filed on Aug. 31, 2012 (now U.S.Pat. No. 8,792,880 which issued on Jul. 29, 2014), each of which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/552,896 filed Jul.19, 2012 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,311,533 which issued on Nov. 13, 2012),which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/355,341filed Jan. 16, 2009 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,254,913 which issued on Aug.28, 2012), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/622,811 filed on Jan. 12, 2007, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/206,695filed on Aug. 18, 2005, the contents of each of which are incorporatedherein in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to wireless telecommunications. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to a broadband datacommunications system for in-flight aircraft.

BACKGROUND ART

High speed data communications are becoming more and more desirable andimportant to society. Most high speed data connections are availablethrough telephone lines, cable modems or other such devices that have aphysical wired connection. Since such a wired connection has limitedmobility, wireless techniques for data communications are veryattractive for airline passengers. However, cellular high speed wirelessdata links have a range which in not practical for in-flight use due tothroughput limitations. Alternatively, high speed links are availablefrom satellites for in-flight aircraft. This option is costly since itrequires a satellite link as well as specialized antennae and otherequipment for the aircraft and also consists of throughput limitationswhich impact usefulness. Consequently, there is a need for a system thatprovides high speed data communications link to an in-flight aircraft ata reasonable cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In some aspects, the invention relates to a network for providing highspeed data communications, comprising: a plurality of terrestrialtransmission stations that are located within overlapping communicationsrange; and a mobile receiver station, where the plurality of terrestrialtransmission stations provide a continuous and uninterrupted high speeddata communications link with the mobile receiver station according tothe IEEE 802.16 Air Interface Standard terrestrial radio access networkprotocol in a mesh network configuration.

In other aspects, the invention relates to a network for providing highspeed data communications, comprising: a plurality of terrestrialtransmission stations that are located within overlapping communicationsrange; and an airborne receiver station, where the plurality ofterrestrial transmission stations provide a continuous and uninterruptedhigh speed data communications link with the mobile receiver stationaccording to the IEEE 802.16 Air Interface Standard.

In other aspects, the invention relates to a network for providing highspeed data communications, comprising: a plurality of terrestrialtransmission stations that are located within overlapping communicationsrange; and a seaborne receiver station, where the plurality ofterrestrial transmission stations provide a continuous and uninterruptedhigh speed data communications link with the mobile receiver stationaccording to the IEEE 802.16 Air Interface Standard.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

It should be noted that identical features in different drawings areshown with the same reference numeral.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a broadband communication system forin-flight aircraft in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a broadband communication system for thecontinental United States in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a broadband communication network overthe ocean for in-flight aircraft and shipping in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b show views of the results of computer simulations ofthe performance of the network in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 shows a diagram of the actual test network that was simulated inFIGS. 4 a and 4 b in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 shows a diagram of the internal network configurations for thetarget craft shown in FIG. 5 in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is a system of providing high speed datacommunications for in-flight airliners utilizing a series of groundbased transmitters along established common flight paths for multipleaircraft called “air corridors” that provides an IEEE 802.16 AirInterface Standard or OFDM “WiMax” connection. The ground transmittersare located in a pattern to provide overlapping coverage as an aircraftpasses from one transmitter to the other. This allows passengers on theaircraft to have uninterrupted high speed data communications while inthe air. The high speed data communications link between the passengerand the ground allows for a direct link that is continuous anduninterrupted in time. The direct link may be between the passenger andthe ground station. Alternatively, the direct link may be between theaircraft and the ground station where the passenger accesses an on boardnetwork. The network would typically be run by an on-board server thatwould be in communication with the ground station and the passenger andalso be continuous and uninterrupted in time.

The IEEE 802.16 Air Interface Standard, often called “WiMax” and builtupon OFDM protocols as part of the next generation wireless (4G), is aspecification for fixed broadband wireless access systems employing apoint-to-multipoint (PMP) architecture. The IEEE 802.16 Air InterfaceSpecification is a very capable, while complex, specification withcurrent data transfer rates as high as 75 megabits per second (Mbps),and sometimes higher. There are allowances for a number of physicallayers for different frequency bands and region-by-region frequencyregulatory rules. There are features that allow an IP centric system oran ATM centric system depending upon the needs of customers. Thespecification is designed to cover application to diverse markets fromvery high bandwidth businesses to SOHO and residential users. Theinitial version was developed with the goal of meeting the requirementsof a vast array of deployment scenarios for broadband wireless access(BW A) systems operating between 10-66 GHz. Revisions to the base IEEE802.16 standard targeting the sub 11 GHz are envisioned and intended tobe captured for use within the scope of the present invention. Thepresent invention envisions inclusion of the technology and performancerequirements of IEEE 802.16, i.e. OFDM, but may include other technologyadaptations to achieve connectivity with an aircraft in flight. OFDM isconsidered to be a distinguishing feature of the next generationwireless radio technology, also known as “4G.”

System Profiles, Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement Proforma,Test Suite Structure & Test Purposes, and Abstract Test Suitespecifications for 10 to 66 GHz and sub 11 GHz, have been developed allaccording to the ISO/IEC 9464 series (equivalent to ITU-T x.290 series)of conformance testing standards. The 802.16 standard covers both theMedia Access Control (MAC) and the physical (PHY) layers access standardfor systems in the frequency ranges 10-66 GHz and sub 11 GHz.

A number of PHY considerations were taken into account for the targetenvironment. At higher frequencies, line-of-sight is a must. Thisrequirement eases the effect of multi-path, allowing for wide channels,typically greater than 10 MHz in bandwidth. This gives IEEE 802.16 theability to provide very high capacity links on both the uplink and thedownlink. For sub 11 GHz non line-of-sight capability is a requirement.The standard is designed to accommodate either Time Division Duplexing(TDD) or Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) deployments, allowing forboth full and half-duplex terminals in the FDD case. The currentinvention envisions utilizing multiple custom adaptations of the PHYlayer of software.

The MAC is designed specifically for the PMP wireless accessenvironment. It supports higher layer or transport protocols such asATM, Ethernet or Internet Protocol (IP), and is designed to easilyaccommodate future protocols that have not yet been developed. The MACis designed for very high bit rates of the truly broadband physicallayer, while delivering ATM compatible Quality of Service (QoS); UGS,rtPS, nrtPS, and Best Effort. The present invention envisions multipleunique configurations of the MAC layer of the radio system.

The frame structure allows terminals to be dynamically assigned uplinkand downlink burst profiles according to their link conditions. Thisallows a tradeoff between capacity and robustness in real-time, andprovides roughly a two times increase in capacity on average whencompared to non-adaptive systems, while maintaining appropriate linkavailability.

The 802.16 MAC uses a variable length Protocol Data Unit (PDU) alongwith a number of other concepts that greatly increase the efficiency ofthe standard. Multiple MAC PDUs may be linked into a single burst tosave PRY overhead. Additionally, multiple Service Data Units (SDU) forthe same service may be linked into a single MAC PDU, saving on MACheader overhead. Fragmentation allows very large SDUs to be sent acrossframe boundaries to guarantee the QoS of competing services. And,payload header suppression can be used to reduce the overhead caused bythe redundant portions of SDU headers.

The MAC uses a self-correcting bandwidth request/grant scheme thateliminates the overhead and delay of acknowledgements, whilesimultaneously allowing better QoS handling than traditionalacknowledged schemes. Terminals have a variety of options available tothem for requesting bandwidth depending upon the QoS and trafficparameters of their services. They can be polled individually or ingroups. They can recycle bandwidth already allocated to make requestsfor more. They can signal the need to be polled, and they can piggybackrequests for bandwidth. This is made possible with “beam forming” of thesignal down to a 4 degree wide “pencil beam”. Beam forming also enablesthe signal to be electronically adapted (null steering) to connect witha fast-moving aircraft.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a broadband communication system 10 forin-flight aircraft in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. The system 10 includes a series of ground locatedtransmitters 16 located along an air corridor 12. As an airliner passesalong its flight path 18, it moves along different coverage areas 14provided by the transmitters 16 without a loss of communications. Itshould be understood that a single transmitter 16 may cover all aircraftwithin range in the air corridor 12. Through the unique properties of 4GOFDM technology envisioned in the present invention, one base station isable to reuse the same frequency to communication with multiple aircraftsimultaneously. Also, an aircraft may be simultaneously within theoverlapping range of multiple transmitters 16 as it travels along itsflight path 18. When an aircraft is in the coverage area, as well aswhen the aircraft is moving from one coverage area to the next, thepassenger is able to remain in contact with the ground station through adirect link, continuous and without interruption in time.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a WiMax broadband communication system 20 forthe continental United States. It should be noted that the drawing isnot to scale and the actual number of transmitters will be greater thanshown. Transmission of WiMax signals typically requires a line-of-sight(LOS) link between the transmitter and receiver. While conventionalWiMax performance standards typically have a maximum range of 34 miles,it is important to note that this range is from ground point to groundpoint. WiMax has a range of well over 100 miles for a ground point toaircraft link due to the increased distance of a LOS link and othermodifications to an OFDM-based radio.

A great majority of passenger aircraft in the United States travel in“air corridors” that function similar to highways. Air corridorstypically exist along major east/west and north/south routes betweenhigh population areas (e.g., California, the northeastern corridor ofthe United States, etc.). Aircraft are routed along these corridors inorder to more efficiently move air traffic to and from their finaldestinations. Since most air traffic passes through these paths, asystem for providing 4G WiMax access to in-flight aircraft could coveronly the air corridors in lieu of trying to provide coverage for allairspace in the country. This has the advantage of providing asignificant cost advantage by reducing the number of transmitters whilestill covering the majority of flights. However, as the OFDM signalflows outward from the typical air corridors, the signal becomes weakerbut nonetheless perceptible by random-flying aircraft.

The system provides high speed broadband communications to an in-flightaircraft while the aircraft is within the air corridor. Technology tomanage the user's transition from one transmitter to another is wellknown to those of ordinary skill in the art. The communications link mayprovide the user with such data communications as internet access,streaming video, voice-over IP, etc. Additionally, the system mayprovide data on the aircraft to parties on the ground such as an airtraffic controller. Examples of aircraft data include air trafficcontrol information, aircraft status and performance information, videosecurity surveillance of the aircraft interior, etc. The system may beaccessed directly by an individual aboard an aircraft via a directcommunication link that is continuous and uninterrupted in time with theground. In an alternative embodiment, the system may be accessed by theaircraft that it in turn provides individual with direct access that iscontinuous and uninterrupted in time via an onboard network such as aLAN or in-cabin wireless network via a server relayed to the groundusing the modified OFDM or WiMAX connection.

FIG. 3 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention.Specifically, it shows a schematic view of a broadband communicationnetwork over the ocean for in-flight aircraft and surface shipping. Inthis embodiment, the network utilizes “terrestrial” based stations thatinclude land based stations 30, ocean shipping 32 and in-flight aircraft34. Under this definition, any surface node (land or sea) or in-flightnode is considered terrestrial. These nodes interlink to form a network“mesh” that may include: an air mesh; a sea mesh; or a combined air-seamesh. Under this definition, the nodes share interconnectivity where theindividual nodes of the mesh network serve as repeaters in and amongeach other to provide redundancy of communication links. Additionally,it should be understood in this application that the use of the terms“aircraft” and “airliner” are interchangeable and should include alltypes of aviation including: commercial aviation, military aviation, andgeneral aviation of all types and purposes.

In order to understand and typify the expected radio coverage of thepresent invention, as well as prepare for the FCC STA authorizationprocess, a comprehensive Frequency Plot Map was created. FIG. 4 a showsa schematic view of the results of one Frequency Plot Map created by acomputer simulation of the performance of the network in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention. The diagram shows a simulatednetwork in a section of Puget Sound between the coast of Washington andBritish Columbia. A land based station 40 is making a communicationslink to a helicopter 42 and a boat 44. The smaller operating area 46shows the range of communications links at an operating frequency of 5.8MHz. The larger operating area 48 shows the range of communicationslinks at an operating frequency of 3.5 MHz

FIG. 4 b shows a second frequency plot map created by the same computersimulation. The map shows a base station 41 on land and a targethelicopter 43. The simulated system utilizes the Proxim Networks TsunamiMP.16 Model 3500 and Model 3338-A00-060 antenna operating at a frequencyof 3.5 GHz. The broader area 47 represents horizontal coverage forantenna mounted at 407 foot elevation confined to 60 degree AzimuthBeamwidth. The more narrow area 45 represents vertical coverage area of10 degree Elevation Beamwidth at target height of 10,800 feet.

Both frequency plot maps were generated with Radio Mobile Version 7.1.1software utilizing the plot transmission characteristics of the raw RFsignal. Radio Mobile is a Radio Propagation and Virtual Mapping computersimulation software that is listed as Freeware. The software usesdigital terrain elevation data for automatic extraction of a pathprofile between a transmitter and a receiver. The path data is added toradio system specific attributes, environmental and statisticalparameters to feed into an Irregular Terrain Model radio propagationcalculation. The software utilizes USGS Earth Resource Observation andScience (EROS) data provided by the United States Geological Survey. Thedata sets are in BIL format at 1/9 arc second resolution (3 meter).

The use of Radio Mobile software, customized for the 3.5 GHz frequencyband as well as for the particular lobe characteristics of the flatpanel antenna, demonstrated a 20+ mile Line of Site (LOS) transmissiondistance. The resultant plots were then incorporated in the STAapplication process and submitted to the FCC for approval of a Temporaryauthority to utilize licensed frequencies in and around the subject testarea.

In the present invention, reuse of frequencies made possible with “beamforming” of the signal down to a 4 degree wide “pencilbeam” by a“software definable radio (SDR)”. In these embodiments, the signal istransmitted down such a narrow beam that interference with nearbysignals on the same or very close frequencies is minimized. By using abuffer range between beams of the signals, the same frequencies may berecycled or re-used for different communications links between nodes. Inoptimum conditions, it is possible to achieve 288 reuses of the samefrequency. This has the great advantage of minimized the necessaryfrequency spectrum required to operate the network.

Another advantage of the use of SDR involves a more stable andmanageable system of transitioning between communications links amongmoving nodes. With a narrow beam, a high quality communication link maybe established with a more distant node rather than the closest node.This link will conceivably last longer as the distant node moves throughthe transmission range towards the base station.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the actual test network that wassimulated in FIG. 4 in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. An internet access link 50 is provided through a land basedcomputer network. The link is connected to a base station antenna 52that focuses the RF energy to the intended receiver. In this embodiment,the antenna is a Proxim Wireless Flat Panel Model 3338-A00-060 externalantenna. The antenna is part of Proxim's Wireless's Tsunami MP.16 Model3500 products. These products include a Model M3500-BSR-EU base stationand a Model 3500-SSR-EU subscriber unit. The antenna 52 is verticallypolarized with a 17 dBi gain. It has an azimuth beamwidth of 60°+/−4°and an elevation beamwidth of 10°.

The test network comprised several discreet elements. At the core of thenetwork, the Tsunami MP.16 Model 3500 base station was mounted on top ofa roof structure at a height of 407 feet above sea level, as measured byGPS receivers. The base station was connected via 100BaseT to anEthernet switch that hosted several data servers; a file server forlarge file transfer, a network management/Data capture station, and avideo server utilizing VLC's server side software to multicast a moviefile through the WiMAX link. The network core was also attached to theinternet via a DSL router that had a 1.5 Mb downlink and 768 uplinkconnection.

FIG. 6 shows a diagram of the internal network configurations for thetarget craft shown in FIG. 5 in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention. In each target vehicle 54 and 58, a Tsunami MP.16Model 3500 subscriber unit was installed as well as a 17 dBi externalPatch antenna 62. An onboard switched network 64 was created to connect3 laptops 66, each running specific applications for the test suiteincluding: a video client/skype VOIP unit; a data collection/networkmonitoring unit; and a video conferencing unit utilizing a Logitech 1.3Megapixel QuickCam supporting both Yahoo and Microsoft messagingclients. Variations were undertaken in some vehicles due to variationsin onboard-power options and restrictions to mounting options andlocation of equipment.

Wind-load survival for the Proxim Model 333S-AOO-060 antenna iscalculated at 220 Km/h, and is operationally rated at 160 Km/h, as suchit was not possible to mount the antenna to the exterior of the aircraftas the aircraft's top speed is 230 Km/h. Instead the antenna was mountedinside the canopy in the copilot's seat position which did have someeffect on antenna aiming/signal reception due to large nearby metalobjects such as the avionics instrument cluster, etc. This issue waspartially mitigated by manual manipulation of the helicopter orientationin flight by the pilot after signal degradation was noted, or manualmovement of the antenna if flight path reorientation was not practical.

The demonstration testing of WiMAX capable equipment in the 3.5 GHz and5.8 GHz spectrum ranges successfully established communications withboth airborne and water based vehicles. The initial test is targeted atthe range of 20 miles, with later portions of the test at 50 miles. Bothvehicles were initially stationary in position (PtP), but the airbornetarget also tested altitude targets up to two vertical miles. In thefinal stages of testing, the airborne vehicle traveled at higher speeds(PtMP). The tests were conducted utilizing the IEEE 802.15-2004 Standardfor mobile applications. The tests comprised multiple phases withincreasing difficultly. These phases were: (1.) 20 mile LOS, PTP shot toboat; (2.) 20 mile LOS, PTP shot to helicopter, 200′ above boat; (3.) 21mile LOS, PTP shot to helicopter, 10,572′ (2 mi) above boat; (4.)20-mile radius speed tests to helicopter at 10,000′; and (5.) LOS, PTPdistance test at 10,000′.

The Proxim equipment, though locked to QPSK-3/4 Modulation/FEC and belowmodulation types, was able to reliably operate at 30.52 statutory milesfrom the base station, and was able to reliably operate at 140 MPH.Combined transmit/receive data rates above 2 Mbps were realized in manyportions of the test areas. Video conferencing via MSN messenger, VOIPcalls via Skype, remote streaming of movie files, and large filetransfers were simultaneously executed at distances of 20+ miles, andduring vehicle movement—even at high speeds. Multi-megabit datatransmission speeds were achieved during multiple samples, as well astesting of VOIP applications, high-speed file transfers, videoconferencing to various locations in the United States, and multi-mediavideo streaming of large movie files.

Doppler shift and signal reflectivity from water were observed duringtesting. To rectify these factors, the subscriber antenna elevation wasmodified upward to reduce or eliminate water reflectivity causing signalinterference. Doppler shift, though observed only at speed in excess ofapproximately 100 mph, did not cause signal failure but marginallyimpacted the rate of throughput. This variance is to be expected withthe version of gear employed in the test, which was designed andconfigured for point to point (PTP) transmission. The impact of Dopplershift is anticipated to be further minimized in newer versions of WiMAXgear, with the 802.16-2005 standard, which is designed with forwarderror correction capability.

It is intended that embodiments of the present invention include presentand future versions of IEEE 802.16 Air Interface Standard that areconsistent with the present disclosure. For example, the IEEE Standard802.16-2004 (approved in June 2004) renders the previous (and 1st)version 802.16-2001 obsolete, along with its amendments 802.16a and802.16c. However, IEEE Standard 802.16-2004 addresses only fixed systemssuch as Local area networks (LANs) and metropolitan area networks(MANs).

IEEE Standard 802.16-2005 (approved December, 2005 and formerly named802.16e) adds mobility components to the WiMax standard. This WiMAXmobility standard is an improvement on the modulation schemes stipulatedin the original WiMAX standard. It allows for fixed wireless and mobileNon Line of Sight (NLOS) applications primarily by enhancing theOrthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Access (OFDMA). It ispossible that by stipulating a new modulation method called ScalableOFDMA (SOFDMA), the 802.16-2005 standard will make the older 802.16-2004standard which uses OFDM-256 outdated. However, there are plans for amigration path from the older version of the standard to the morerobust, mobile modulation scheme. In any case, compatibility betweensimilar system profiles is a distinct possibility. SOFDMA and OFDMA256are typically not compatible so most equipment may have to be replaced.However, attempts are being made to provide a migration path for olderequipment to OFDMA256 compatibility which would ease the transition forthose networks which have already made the switch to SOFDMA.

SOFDMA will improve upon OFDM256 for NLOS applications by improving NLOScoverage by utilizing advanced antenna diversity schemes, andhybrid-Automatic Retransmission Request (hARQ). Also, system gain isincreased by use of denser sub-channelization, thereby improving indoorpenetration. The newer standard introduces high-performance codingtechniques such as Turbo Coding and Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC),enhancing security and NLOS performance and introduces downlinksub-channelization, allowing network administrators to trade coveragefor capacity or vice versa. It also improves coverage by introducingAdaptive Antenna Systems (AAS) and Multiple Input-Multiple Output (MIMO)technology. It eliminates channel bandwidth dependencies on sub-carrierspacing, allowing for equal performance under any RF channel spacing(1.25-14 MHz). Finally, SOFDMA's enhanced Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)algorithm can tolerate larger delay spreads and there by increasingresistance to multi path interference.

WiMAX's equivalent in Europe is HIPERMAN. Efforts are underway to make802.16 and HIPERMAN interoperate seamlessly. Additionally, Korea'stelecom industry has developed its own standard, WiBro which is expectedto be fully interoperable with WiMAX. Consequently, it is fully intendedthat the definition of “WiMax” and IEEE Standard 802.16 cover any andall versions, modifications and equivalents of this wirelesscommunication standard, inclusive of OFDM technology, also known as nextgeneration wireless or 4G.

In other embodiments of the present invention, alternativecommunications protocols could be used. For example, one embodiment ofthe invention could use the UTRAN Long Term Evolution (LTE) TerrestrialRadio Access Network protocol which is based on or utilizes OFDMtechnology. Versions of LTE may utilize radio air interface technologyknown as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) toprovide several key benefits including significantly increased peak datarates, increased cell edge performance, reduced latency, scalablebandwidth, co-existence with GSM/EDGE/UMTS systems, reduced CAPEX andOPEX. LTE is scalable to allow operation in a wide range of spectrumbandwidths, from 1.4-20 MHz, using both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD)and Time Division Duplex (TDD) modes of operation, thus providingflexibility to suit any user's existing or future frequency allocation.

The performance characteristics for LTE versions of next generation of4G technology include: peak download rates of 326.4 Mbit/s for 4×4antennas and 172.8 Mbit/s for 2×2 antennas for every 20 MHz of spectrum;peak upload rates of 86.4 Mbit/s for every 20 MHz of spectrum; at least200 active users in every 5 MHz cell. (i.e., 200 active data clients);sub-5 ms latency for small IP packets; spectrum flexibility for spectrumslices as small as 1.4 MHz (and as large as 20 MHz); optimal ground toground cell size of 5 km, 30 km sizes with reasonable performance, andup to 100 km cell sizes supported with acceptable performance (this willbe increased for air to ground cells); co-existence with legacystandards (users can transparently start a transfer of data in an areausing an LTE standard, and, should coverage be unavailable, continue theoperation without any action on their part using GSM/GPRS orW-CDMA-based UMTS or even 3GPP2 networks such as CDMA or EV-DO; andsupport for a MBSFN (Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network) whichcan deliver services such as Mobile TV using the LTE infrastructure.

Another alternative communications protocol that could be used is theIEEE Standard 802.20 which is known as “The Standard Air Interface forMobile Broadband Wireless Access Systems Supporting VehicularMobility—Physical and Media Access Control Layer Specification”(hereafter “802.20”). 802.20 is a variation of next generation wirelessor 4G technology, a mobility enhancement of 802.16. 802.20 is defined asa protocol for boosting IP-based data-transmission rates for mobileusers in wireless metropolitan area networks (WMANs). It would becapable of supporting people and devices sitting in trains, subways andautomobiles traveling at up to 150 miles per hour. 802.20 would supporttransmission speeds of up to 1 M bit/sec in the 3-GHz spectrum band.802.20 is also based on OFDM. The 802.20 standard seeks to boostreal-time data transmission rates in wireless metropolitan area networksconnections based on cell ranges of up to 15 kilometers or more forground to ground stations. This range will be greater for ground to airconnections.

802.20 shares some similarities with IEEE Standard 802.16e. The 802.16eand 802.20 standards both specify mobile air interfaces for wirelessbroadband. On the surface the two standards are similar, but there aresome important differences between them. Specifically, 802.16e will addmobility in the 2 to 6 GHz licensed bands while 802.20 aims foroperation in licensed bands below 3.5 GHz. Typically, 802.16e will beused by the mobile user walking around with a PDA or laptop, while802.20 will address high-speed mobility issues. Another key differencewill be the manner in which the two are deployed with users deploying802.20 as an overlay to their existing networks including existing802.16 networks.

While the invention has been described based on fundamental embodimentsof the forms of next generation wireless or 4G technology, it alsoshould be understood that all described embodiments may utilize hybridor modified versions of the next generation wireless technology, 4G or802.16 (WiMAX) based on or utilizing OFDM as applicable. It isrecognized that these embodiments describe only portions of thefoundation components necessary in the construction of a radio tocommunicate with an aircraft at true broadband data rates over extremedistances. Such a transceiver, modified to the magnitude necessary tomaintain an effective communication continuous and uninterrupted in timewith aircraft at jet speed and extreme distances from the terrestrialstation, will include protocols and code which are not presentlyincluded within the definitions or standards of 802.16 or WiMAX or LTE.Despite the modification of the 4G transceivers, both terrestrial andairborne units, inclusion of the component elements described in 802.16or WiMAX or LTE, specifically to include OFDM, make such a radio subjectto the claims of this invention.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited numberof embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of thisdisclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised whichdo not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed here.Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by theattached claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A ground station among a network of groundstations configured to provide high speed wirelessly transmitted datacommunications to an in-flight aircraft, the ground station comprising:an antenna assembly operably coupled to software defined radio tocontrol the antenna assembly; and a radio operably coupled to theantenna assembly to process signals sent or received at the antennaassembly utilizing Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM),wherein the radio is configured to communicate with a receiver stationlocated on board the in-flight aircraft to provide a high speed datacommunications link with the receiver station employing, wherein thehigh speed data communications link is maintained while the in-flightaircraft transitions between a coverage area provided by the groundstation and coverage areas of respective ones of the other groundstations as the in-flight aircraft moves from the coverage area providedby the ground station to one of the respective ones of the coverageareas provided by the respective ones of the other ground stations, andwherein the ground station is configured to provide the high speed datacommunications link having a bandwidth greater than 10 MHz.
 2. Theground station of claim 1, wherein the high speed data communicationslink employs Long Term Evolution (LTE) terrestrial radio access networkprotocols.
 3. The ground station of claim 1, wherein a frame structureutilized for the high speed data communications link providesdynamically assignable uplink and downlink burst profiles based on linkconditions.
 4. The ground station of claim 1, wherein multiple mediaaccess control protocol data units are linkable to a single burst. 5.The ground station of claim 1, wherein the high speed datacommunications link provides internet access, streaming video, andvoice-over IP to the receiver station.
 6. The ground station of claim 1,wherein the ground station is configured to communicate with multipleaircraft simultaneously.
 7. The ground station of claim 1, wherein theradio employs forward error correction to compensate for Doppler whilethe in-flight aircraft is at a speed in excess of 140 mph.
 8. A groundstation among a network of ground stations configured to provide highspeed wirelessly transmitted data communications to an in-flightaircraft, the ground station comprising: an antenna assembly operablycoupled to software defined radio to control the antenna assembly; and aradio operably coupled to the antenna assembly to process signals sentor received at the antenna assembly utilizing Orthogonal FrequencyDivision Multiplexing (OFDM), wherein the radio is configured tocommunicate with a receiver station located on board the in-flightaircraft to provide a high speed data communications link with thereceiver station employing, wherein the high speed data communicationslink is maintained while the in-flight aircraft transitions between acoverage area provided by the ground station and coverage areas ofrespective ones of the other ground stations as the in-flight aircraftmoves from the coverage area provided by the ground station to one ofthe respective ones of the coverage areas provided by the respectiveones of the other ground stations, and wherein the software definedradio employs narrow beams of less than 10 degrees beamwidth in azimuthor elevation to provide the high speed data communications link with arange of greater than 50 miles and have forward error correctioncapability to enable the high speed data communications link to bemaintained with the in-flight aircraft at speeds of at least 140 milesper hour.
 9. A ground station among a network of ground stationsconfigured to provide high speed wirelessly transmitted datacommunications to an in-flight aircraft, the ground station comprising:an antenna assembly operably coupled to software defined radio tocontrol the antenna assembly; and a radio operably coupled to theantenna assembly to process signals sent or received at the antennaassembly utilizing Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM),wherein the radio is configured to communicate with a receiver stationlocated on board the in-flight aircraft to provide a high speed datacommunications link with the receiver station employing, wherein thehigh speed data communications link is maintained while the in-flightaircraft transitions between a coverage area provided by the groundstation and coverage areas of respective ones of the other groundstations as the in-flight aircraft moves from the coverage area providedby the ground station to one of the respective ones of the coverageareas provided by the respective ones of the other ground stations, andwherein the software defined radio is configured to favor establishingthe high speed data communications link with a more distant aircraftrather than a closer aircraft.
 10. A network configured to provide highspeed wirelessly transmitted data communications to an in-flightaircraft, the network comprising: a plurality of ground transmissionstations, the ground transmission stations being located such that atleast some of the ground transmission stations are within overlappingcommunications range of respective other ones of the ground transmissionstations, the ground transmission stations being configured tocommunicate with a receiver station located on board the in-flightaircraft to provide a high speed data communications link to thein-flight aircraft; and a software defined radio at each of the groundtransmission stations, the software defined radio being operably coupledto an antenna assembly of each respective one of the ground transmissionstations to control the antenna assembly, the software defined radiobeing configured to enable processing of signals sent or received at theantenna assembly utilizing Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing(OFDM), wherein the high speed data communications link is maintainedwhile the in-flight aircraft is within a coverage area provided by oneof the plurality of ground transmission stations and as the in-flightaircraft transitions from the coverage area provided by the one of theplurality of ground transmission stations to a coverage area provided byanother of the plurality of ground transmission stations, and whereineach of the ground transmission stations is configured to provide thehigh speed data communications link having a bandwidth greater than 10MHz.
 11. The network of claim 10, wherein the high speed datacommunications link employs Long Term Evolution (LTE) terrestrial radioaccess network protocols.
 12. The network of claim 10, wherein a framestructure utilized for the high speed data communications link providesdynamically assignable uplink and downlink burst profiles based on linkconditions.
 13. The network of claim 10, wherein multiple media accesscontrol protocol data units are linkable to a single burst.
 14. Thenetwork of claim 10, wherein the high speed data communications linkprovides internet access, streaming video, or voice-over IP to thereceiver station.
 15. The network of claim 10, wherein each one of theground transmission stations is configured to communicate with multipleaircraft simultaneously.
 16. The network of claim 10, wherein the radioemploys forward error correction to compensate for Doppler while thein-flight aircraft is at a speed in excess of 140 mph.
 17. A networkconfigured to provide high speed wirelessly transmitted datacommunications to an in-flight aircraft, the network comprising: aplurality of ground transmission stations, the ground transmissionstations being located such that at least some of the groundtransmission stations are within overlapping communications range ofrespective other ones of the ground transmission stations, the groundtransmission stations being configured to communicate with a receiverstation located on board the in-flight aircraft to provide a high speeddata communications link to the in-flight aircraft; and a softwaredefined radio at each of the ground transmission stations, the softwaredefined radio being operably coupled to an antenna assembly of eachrespective one of the ground transmission stations to control theantenna assembly, the software defined radio being configured to enableprocessing of signals sent or received at the antenna assembly utilizingOrthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), wherein the highspeed data communications link is maintained while the in-flightaircraft is within a coverage area provided by one of the plurality ofground transmission stations and as the in-flight aircraft transitionsfrom the coverage area provided by the one of the plurality of groundtransmission stations to a coverage area provided by another of theplurality of ground transmission stations, and wherein the softwaredefined radio employs narrow beams of less than 10 degrees beamwidth inazimuth or elevation to provide the high speed data communications linkwith a range of greater than 50 miles and have forward error correctioncapability to enable the high speed data communications link to bemaintained with the in-flight aircraft at speeds of at least 140 milesper hour.
 18. A network configured to provide high speed wirelesslytransmitted data communications to an in-flight aircraft, the networkcomprising: a plurality of ground transmission stations, the groundtransmission stations being located such that at least some of theground transmission stations are within overlapping communications rangeof respective other ones of the ground transmission stations, the groundtransmission stations being configured to communicate with a receiverstation located on board the in-flight aircraft to provide a high speeddata communications link to the in-flight aircraft; and a softwaredefined radio at each of the ground transmission stations, the softwaredefined radio being operably coupled to an antenna assembly of eachrespective one of the ground transmission stations to control theantenna assembly, the software defined radio being configured to enableprocessing of signals sent or received at the antenna assembly utilizingOrthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), wherein the highspeed data communications link is maintained while the in-flightaircraft is within a coverage area provided by one of the plurality ofground transmission stations and as the in-flight aircraft transitionsfrom the coverage area provided by the one of the plurality of groundtransmission stations to a coverage area provided by another of theplurality of ground transmission stations, and wherein the network isconfigured to, for determining which of the ground transmission stationsis to establish the high speed data communications link with thereceiver station, favor a more distant one of the ground transmissionstations over a closer one of the ground transmission stations.